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Hip-Hop Lives Here
Janelle Monáe has been proudly putting her body on full display lately, but her latest topless appearance is sure to catch the attention of fans even more.
The 37-year-old singer shared a tweet on Tuesday (May 23) promoting vinyl copies of her upcoming album The Age of Pleasure (out June 9), which is available on standard black 12″ vinyl and as a special “Sea Blue” version.
Her tweet contained photos of the album packaging and fold-out sleeve, which contains a hidden surprise for listeners: a close-up painting of Monáe’s boobs.
While the sight is nothing new for those who have been keeping close tabs on Monáe’s recent moves, the risqué artwork still managed to turn heads (and seemingly loosen purse strings).
“I’d be listening to this solely based on her packaging,” one enamored fan tweeted in response, while another joked: “Suddenly need a record player.”
Fans needn’t just buy a vinyl copy of The Age of Pleasure to get an eye-full, though. The digital and CD versions of the album also feature cover art showing Monáe swimming naked underwater, with her nipples on show.
Janelle Monáe kickstarted her shirtless revolution earlier this month with her sensual, NSFW “Lipstick Lover” music video, in which she flashed her boobs alongside scenes of her singing to another woman’s naked butt and pleasuring herself with sex toys.
While performing at a party celebrating the song’s release that same day, Monáe made even more headlines when she lifted up her shirt and briefly jiggled her breasts in front of the crowd.
The Hidden Figures star spoke about her newfound love of exhibitionism in an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this week, admitting, “I’m much happier when my titties are out and I can run around free.”
Monáe’s unapologetic nudity has has also been praised by some of her musical peers, with SZAapplauding the singer/actress for shattering gender stereotypes with her sexual expression.
“I love that’s it’s HER being free rn because ppl LOVE to box women in and claim that because your articulate respected and intelligent [eye-roll emoji] you can’t show your body or be sexual or anything else lol,” the TDE hitmaker wrote in an Instagram comment.
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Madonna has shared a tribute to William Orbit after the producer passed away.
The Queen of Pop honored the man behind Ray of Light on social media Saturday, Aug. 8, following his death at 69.
“I had an epiphany when I met you and started working with you,” Madonna said in her tribute on Instagram. “I realized that music did not have to fit into categories or genres. So we created our own.”
Her upload featured footage from her speech at the 1999 Grammy Awards, where Orbit joined her while they received the prize for best pop vocal album. Ray of Light reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
Madonna went on to say, “You pressed a magic button inside of me and I fell into a galaxy of unrealized dreams. Your music gave me a magic carpet to fly on and I visited many places. Sad and Joyful.”
Orbit passed away at his residence on July 23, although news of his death did not emerge until Friday, Aug. 7. No cause was disclosed.
Before creating Madonna’s 1998 record Ray of Light with her, Orbit produced remixes of tracks such as “Justify My Love” and “Erotica.” His recognizable blend of techno, trip hop and downtempo music shaped the sound heard across the project.
“I sang in ways I’d never sung before,” Madonna explained in the message. “I used words without caring if they made sense or not. In many ways you were my Ray of Light — as was my daughter Lola who was born around this time.”
She also wrote, “I was starting a new chapter, I was choosing another road to walk down — and you were right by my side with your crooked teeth and your genius, way of hearing music. The studio was often church like and I would sit in silence, waiting for your ideas to explode out of your keyboard or your guitar and then I would run with them…”
Their creative partnership continued regularly throughout the next 10 years. Orbit earned production credits for “Beautiful Stranger,” “American Pie” and multiple tracks featured on Madonna’s 2000 release Music and her 2012 album MDNA.
“I miss those days. Only you could inspire me to write a song like Drowned World or Swim. You were so otherworldly. So singular,” Madonna shared. “The years passed and I moved on to make music with other people, but I have never forgotten you or the magical time we spent together. Goodbye Billy Bubbles. I was so lucky to have known you and fallen down the rabbit hole with you.”
See Madonna’s full tribute to Orbit on Instagram below.
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